The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-12-04
A STORY ON THE ELEVATED.
A Conversation That Touches Upon
a Number of Topics


NEW York, Dec 3.--One of them occu-
pied the whole of a double seat, but he took
his feet from the front half when the train
left Seventy street to permit
stranger to sit down. They did not look at
each other until tHe train stopped at Fifty
ninth, when the stranger leaned over to the
front man and said: Excuse me, can you
tell me what that brakeman said y
"Yes sir" replied the first affably. He
said 'Fifty-ninth, change for Ninth ave
nue.'n
"Oh, thank you, it's almighty difficult
sometimes TO tell what these fellows say
"Youre right, but the brakeman on this
line are nothing to what they are on the
Third avenue Ever travel on that line"
The train had begun to move again and
the rumbing of the wheels over the iron
structure drowned the voices of these men
who continued their conversation until the
next ST. tion was reached How they had
switched off from one topic to another 1T is
impossible to say, but the second man was
saying: ~ haven't shaven mine since 1901
and haven't trimmed it more than once or
twice in all that time"
81 never grew any beard at all until 1870"
replied the first, "but since then | have
tried about every style"
81 had an uncle who used to make 1t
point to wear n different style of beard
every year, and he finally died when he
could thing of no more variety in that line.
"Mine grows mighty fast How long do
you suppose it took me to grow this chin
whisk-." The train was again in noisy
motion, but the conversation continued,
and as the momentary pause was made at
the junction of Fifty-third and Eighth
avenue the first man was speaking -
Through the war A piece of shell took off
his big toe in the wilderness and he had to
be mustered out. 1t made him mad, but he
said it relieved him from any danger Of the
gout."
''Hee, hee, he was a humorist." One of
them was evidently reminded by this of a
funny story, for moment later, at Fiftieth
street, the first man sat with his mouth and
ewes expectantly ajar, waiting for the point
where the laugh was to come in, and the
other, with growing excitement, was telling
how:
Couldn't tell for the life of him why it
was that the frog couldn't jump. There
he'd been and put up a lot of money, you
know, and he thought he had the boys, as
usual. But ethat frog couldn't jump,
aud finally" When the laugh
came the teller of the story
nearly rolled off into the aisle, 50 funny
was it, but the other man smiled painfully
and seemed to be trifie disappointed. 1t
is clear that there was no encouragement in
same vein, for at Forty-second street the
second man declared solemnly: "Selwyn
| died three months later, and the boys gave
| him the most magnificent funeral as has
ever been known in those parts" did
they ever find out just what it was that
| killed hing
aNever, never. Twas always suspected
that Joe had something to do with it,
more'n he cared to admit but the most
creditable view taken was that the acci-
| dent"
At Thirty.third street the first man had
become intensely interested. "John married
| HodglIins' widow and they moved to Da-
kota. He used to get over to St Paul every
now and then. Perhaps you've met him
| there"
| 'Don't know but have. what sort of
| looking man was her.
'Just like me, except that his hair was
! red and he was about three inches taller and
twice as heavy. You couldn't mistake
| him"
''Did he always take lemon in his --?'
| John evidently took lemon in his -, for
| a moment later both men shook hands with
expressions of great joy. 1t proved, by the
way, that every man should have some
mark of Identification about him, even If it
\ be so unique as the taking of lemon in his -.
| AT Twenty-eighth street the first man had
become opinionative.
| 81 never did think much or Grevy," he
said, land think it will be burned good
! thing for the republic if he steps down and
| out"
''No sirl A good thing for the monarchy
you'd better say. 1t will break the republi-
can institutions of that unfortunate country
all to smash it will"
II don't think so. Boulanger you see -"
| had to get off at Twenty third street,
| and as passed down the aisle the second
man said: "Johnsons Well my name is
Brewster. You didn't know a man named
johnson who lived about four miles south of
| New Orleans, did yer +. K. BURTON.